Secrets of Inuyoukai
by SilverontheRose
Summary: A collection of unrelated, Sesshoumaru-centric oneshots that investigate the little mysteries that surround Sesshoumaru. I do not own any rights for the series Inuyasha: Sengoku no Otogi Zoshi, and have received no compensation for my tales. Rating for future language and adult situations.
1. Eating Habits

The Secrets of Inuyoukai

~oOo~

Eating Habits

* * *

Kagome stood, placing her hands on her hips and arching to stretch her back. The first flush of spring was over and the days were steadily growing warmer. She used the back of her sleeve to blot the perspiration off her head and, after an added stretch to her neck, took inventory of everything she'd been able to gather so far. Wild herbs for healing, some onions she had found by the river, mushrooms she'd been delighted to find beside a fallen tree. She smiled. Not bad for a city girl from the future.

Hearing footfalls in the grass, she looked expectantly at the close end of the clearing. Her fellow forager broke though, mildly exclaiming as she tried to disentangle a thorny vine from her hair.

"Rin-chan! Do you need some help fighting a vine oni?" she giggled, as the younger girl's convolutions became more emphatic. Large eyes gave her an accusing look as the rosy mouth pouted.

"Kagome-nee-sama is being cruel! It snagged in my hair as I was coming from the bog and I don't want it splitting the ends after you trimmed it so pretty."

"I'd worry less about my hair and more about my fingers. Here." Quickly taking the end of the vine, Kagome unraveled the thick black strands and slipped them under the barbs that had caught them. Tossing the vine back towards the forest, she finger combed the snagged hair, restoring it to glossy smoothness. "There you go." Eyes suddenly lighting with mischief, she made a grand pronouncement, "This Kagome has vanquished the oni and restored perfection to the hair of our Rin-hime." She then gave a ludicrously deep bow to the furiously blushing girl.

Taking a deep breath, Rin turned to the giggling miko. Willing the blush to subside, she straightened her back and lifted her chin, resting her eyes frostily on her friend. With perfect composure, she gave a studied "Hn."

Kagome dropped her jaw, then began laughing. "You have him perfectly!" she was able to get out before she began hiccuping. Amazed at the boisterous miko, it wasn't long before Rin couldn't help giggling and joining in the laughter. Soon both girls were on the ground laughing, unable to stop as each triggered a new gale with a glance or snort.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru-sama would not be amused." Still occasionally giggling, Rin leaned back in the cool grass. Her ribs ached pleasantly. Life had been so full of laughter since Kagome had returned. Everyone in the old shard-hunting group went around with large smiles on their faces and villagers whispered of added blessings now that the girl who was beloved of the kami had returned to them.

Rin knew it embarrassed the older girl. She'd seen Kagome blush when the villagers would offer up prayers when she walked by. Offerings had been left outside of Kaede's hut every day since then, more than they could actually eat… but as the elderly miko succinctly put it, perfect amounts for Kagome to learn how to cook and preserve before she took a husband. Rin took a deep breath and stared up at the endless blue above. She'd never seen someone turn that shade of purple before.

Kagome looked up at the clear sky as well, but was slightly disappointed. No cloud watching today. She started to stand. "Rin-chan, we probably need to get back to… oooph." Stumbling on the hem of the unaccustomed hakama, she blundered into the baskets, knocking Rin's completely over. Wincing as she heard the rip of fabric, she kicked her hem out from underneath her heel. "I am so sorry Rin-chan, let me gather them back up. I really hope I didn't bruise anything." She quickly righted the basket and started reaching for the fallen herbs.

"No, Kagome-nee-sama, it's really ok! I'll get them." Rin nervously sat up and reached, knowing somehow that it was too late.

Kagome stared down at the plants spilled from the basket. Nanten, tomato leaves, kanamemochi, toadstools, asebi… "Rin-chan," she hoarsely whispered, looking to the girl with bewilderment. "These are all… Why? Why would you need these? Any of them, much less a basketful?" Horrified, she let Rin pull the basket from her nerveless fingers.

"I'm sorry to upset you, Kagome-nee-sama." Rin moved to where she was kneeling beside the basket and gently started straightening and returning everything to the basket. "I can't tell you why I need them, though. But…" She quietly finished her task, covered them, and stood. "I promise that I'm not using them for an evil purpose." Gazing at her toes, she breathed sharply through her nose and looked into her friend's eyes. "I didn't think you'd see what I was picking, or I would have waited. But they are needed, just please, trust me."

Shocked at the full basket of poisonous herbs and fungi, the only action Kagome could take was to nod her head. "Does Kaede-baa-chan…"

"No. No one does." Rin summoned up a wan little smile. "But maybe I can explain it to you later. Will you please keep it to yourself until I can? At least for a while?"

"Ok, Rin-chan. For a while. But as soon as you can…"

"I know."

~oOo~

A day later, Kagome was under Goshinboku trying to compose her mind so she could slip into a meditative state. Unfortunately her mind was more inclined to wander to the defunct well and Mama, as well as hitting on various subjects such as worshiping villagers, a motherly best friend who was over-enthusiastically training her in how to take care of a household, a red-clothed hanyou who seemed to be moving very slowly in their relationship, and a basket of deadly poisons.

"Nnnngh," she irritably groaned. She opened her eyes and bounced the back of her head against the venerable trunk, wincing as the bark grabbed a few hairs. She held her hand to the back of her head and sat forward to free them without getting them pulled out.

"Maybe a head scarf wouldn't be a bad idea," she muttered to herself.

"Most simply refrain from rubbing their head against a tree."

This time she definitely gave the back of her head a knock as she jerked back. "Oww," she rubbed her head while glaring at the silk-clad demon who always managed to surprise her. She wanted to lecture him, but remembered just in time that he was an elder of her family. Minding her manners, she started "Sesshoumaru-o-nii…" His glare stopped her cold. "Ok, so that dirty look from before…"

"Refrain from describing any relationship between us thusly."

"Sesshoumaru-san, then." The temperature between them dropped some more. "That's as formal as I get! Rin-chan's address of you is positively archaic where I'm from. Unless you want to be Sesshoumaru-kun?"

He _tched_. "The former will have to be… acceptable." He paused a moment, sampling the air. Satisfied that the area was clear, he pulled the swords from his obi and sat down. Placing them both to one side, he looked at the dumbfounded priestess in front of him. Removing a package from inside his sleeve, he placed it in front of himself and began untying it. "Rin said that you both went foraging yesterday."

Kagome was speechless. This was Sesshoumaru! Sesshoumaru! Let's-melt-the-annoyance-in-my-path himself! Sitting and… eating?... in front of her! She watched with wide eyes as he popped something from the cloth into his mouth and slowly chewed, his eyes on her the whole time. Brain processes in motion, she finally registered his comment. "Umm, yes. We did." As he ate another morsel, she realized she was staring at him rudely and hurriedly lowered her eyes.

"You had questions about her gathering." He picked up another bit and savored the flavor of the deadly treats. Golden eyes flickered with amusement at the miko's reddened cheeks and forced manners. This was almost on par with finding Jaken bedecked with flowers. A faint melancholy twinge hit his heart but was ignored; the past was over and done, Rin approaching womanhood with no time for bedecking his servant with flowers. He had better things to do than to sit with his half-brother's miko as well. He toyed with one of the last pieces in the cloth, willing the girl to forget this newly-acquired propriety and notice what he held. He didn't wait long.

"You know what she…" Kagome broke off mid-sentence as she focused on the mushroom held between two deadly claws. Startled, she looked up at him just in time to see the stuffed toadstool disappearing into his mouth. "Sesshoumaru-san… then, Rin-chan…" Just as it seemed she'd never be able to complete a sentence, she whispered, "But it's toxic."

"To humans. This one is youkai, such limitations don't exist. One is what one eats." Tossing the last of the toadstools into his mouth, the youkai lord stood. "The cloth is Rin's." With that he was gone; the only signs left that proved the bizarre conversation had even taken place were the cloth flickering in the breeze and the slight aroma of crushed grass from where he had sat.

He means... his poison isn't natural? Kagome pinched her arm, her brother's ninja anime obsession bringing to mind the memory of kunochi who ate poison from childhood and could kill a man with a toxic kiss. With an indrawn hiss of breath as the pain proved she was awake, she thanked the gods for the brother she'd fallen in love with.

Ramen was suddenly a much less objectionable food obsession.

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I was going through some old folders and found some Sesshoumaru-centric scenes that never quite met my expectations. But then I had this idea, so I hope you enjoy my remakes.


	2. Dysfunctional Family Woes

The Secrets of Inuyoukai

~oOo~

Dysfunctional Family Woes

* * *

Leiko looked into her mirror, watching the amusing scene between the Inu-no-Tashio's other son, the miko woman with him, and the wolf prince that was so enamored of that same woman. _Wolves, foxes, and_ _dogs..._ Her lips curled up at the corners, a smile that the little youkai would have been quaking at, as her son had the same expression. _Dogs... even my Sesshoumaru has had a hand in rescuing her._

It made her curious, that so many canines were attracted to the strange woman with miko powers. _One cannot call her a miko in truth, as she seems to disdain their teachings, but still the gods bless her with power._ The curious inuyoukai lady settled in to watch the next confrontation between the Inu-no-Tashio's other son and the wolf prince. _They were so amusing._

Three months later, the group was close to the western lands when a sphere of light circled down to their group and revealed a feminine version of Sesshoumaru. She chuckled as Inuyasha dropped into a combat ready stance.

"Second son of the Inu no Tashio, be at peace. I am curious, not hungry." Her eyes fixed on Kagome. "You, there. I wish to speak with you. It will not take long; you will be safe. Mostly." A small smile curved her lips. "My son has done some intriguing things since meeting you... This one is grateful, but also desires to understand _why_ you affect the canines you come into contact with the way you do."

Kagome was frozen, unsure of what to do or say. She looked to Inuyasha, but felt an iron hard arm around her middle before the world dissolved into light and she fainted.

She awoke in an elaborate room, to the feeling of a hand stroking through her hair. "I forgot that humans don't take well to fast flight. Kagome looked up, realizing she was in Sesshoumaru's mother's lap. She squeaked.

"Oh, don't make noises like that, it's bad to tease a dog. I'm not like my son, I don't pretend to be more than what I am. Now, if you are feeling better, I would ask my questions and send you on your way."

Kagome sat up, still feeling rather shaky. "Sorry. What would you like to know?"

Leiko considered the question, since what she wanted to know probably would not be understood by the girl. "I have been watching your group. You are always trying to educate yourself, despite the hanyou's attempts to keep your attention on him. Why would a human woman be so interested in learning?"

Kagome canted her head to the side, trying to figure out a truthful answer that didn't reveal too much. "I'm required by my er... village's law... to go to school, but because I broke the Shikon no Tama, I have to put it together as well. Grandfather and Mama understand how important it is to gather the shards, but I still feel bad that my poor showing at school is shaming them among their friends. It's not like they can tell people what I'm really doing, since learning I broke the jewel would be even more shaming." _And would get me packed off to be studied or medicated._

Leiko considered that. Children went to school, not adults. Something must be wrong with her understanding. "Is that why you do not accept the advances of the males trying to court you, or are you already betrothed?"

Kagome's eyes grew huge, and she waved her hands in front of her wildly. "No, no! I'm too young to marry. Grandfather would be so disappointed in me. At his age, it could hurt his health if I suddenly announced I married someone he didn't know or hadn't approved of!"

Leiko thought she was beginning to understand what the men were missing, and it was making her hackles rise. _Stupid males!_ "How old is your Grandfather?"

"Eighty-seven. He's the head priest of the shrine my family has taken care of for centuries."

_An eighty-seven year old _human_ man was still active enough to be the head priest? Oh, yes, the mystery is being solved._ "How old are people in your clan expected to get, then?"

Kagome looked up, tapping her lip as she tried to figure it out, not realizing her actions were confirming something quite disturbing for the inuyoukai woman. "Well, if we don't have an accident, usually into our late nineties. But I do have a great-aunt that's one hundred and five this year."

_A longer life than many lesser youkai..._ "So you aren't an adult yet, are you?"

The girl shook her head. "Er, no, not in my village. Not for another five years. That's why I'm still in school... I'm supposed to be bringing my family honor, and working towards a good position in society." Kagome was curious why her age was so intriguing to the woman, but was reluctant to ask. Still, the lady was a pleasant contrast to Sesshoumaru, so she decided to elaborate a little on her answer. "If I hadn't have broken the jewel, I'd've gone to school until I was twenty-two or three, and married by twenty-four or twenty-five. I'm not sure if I'll get into my next level of schooling, now, though. I'm missing too much school, and my scores have dropped too low to be considered by the better schools."

She would have been surprised to find out how close to her dog heritage Leiko was getting. No matter how much power she possessed, this girl was still a pup! Five years from her first day as an adult, around a decade away from marriage. She was comparable to her son's little human girl. And that one could be considered older, as she was a rough peasant used to taking care of herself, and the child sitting in front of her was obviously well off and sheltered.

_And that thickbrained boy and my son... oh, as soon as I arrange matters, they are going to be groveling for forgiveness! Hn. It has been so long since I felt these concerns... perhaps I should consider more pups._ _But for now... _"It is late. You will stay the night, as my thanks for your answers. I will let your friends know and bring the slayer to keep you company. I know you enjoy baths. I do too; my bathhouse will delight you."

Kagome remembered her manners and bowed quickly, as a youkai the Lady had motioned to came forward. "This is Peach Blossom. She will look after you while you are here. I will be back with your friend soon, pup."

Leiko left, leaving a confused Kagome to follow the sweet-faced servant into the maze of pavilions.

The matriarch of the Dog Clan of the High Clouds arrived in the middle of the hanyou's camp in a gush of wind and leaves, landing in front of the slayer. "Taijiya, the little one is staying the night in my shiro. I told her I would bring you to her. It's best not to leave a pup without someone they know, after all."

Sango's eyes grew wide at the implications of that sentence. "It would be an honor, my lady."

Leiko turned to the three males. "My apologies, second son of the Inu-no-Tashio. My shiro is for the ladies and children of the Clan of the High Clouds, or I would not impose so on the clan of my son's half-brother. Not even my darling Sesshoumaru visits me with any regularity, to my everlasting sorrow." Inuyasha twitched at the insincere tone of her voice. "The pup and the slayer will be brought back on the morrow, after the morning meal." And she and Sango were gone with another rush of wind.

"You know, Inuyasha," Shippou watched the ball of light disappearing into the sky, "Meeting her kinda explains stuff about your brother.

"Aa." He watched the ball of light grow distant, before shaking his head. "Sesshoumaru? Darling?" A shudder ran down his spine.

~oOo~

After leaving the slayer with the pup, Leiko headed off to find her son, gamboling through the clouds in her true form. He was going to be so very happy with her latest decision!

Sesshoumaru looked up when he felt the excited brush of his mother's youki, only to narrow his eyes at her distinctly playful approach. _Mother, what are you getting me into now?,_ he whined mentally. He wasn't that old, as youkai go, and found his Mother's capriciousness exhausting... mainly because he wanted to join her, but knew if he was seen no one would take him seriously ever again. He had plans for his life, and they didn't include older youkai whispering about how he was caught playing cloud tag with his mother.

No matter how much fun it would be.

Changing form, he went up to greet her, but declined the invitation to play by setting back on the ground as soon as it was polite. She had a huge smile on her face when she changed, one that made him want to run and hide. His father had sworn up and down Leiko had a kitsune in her background every time that smile had shown up.

"I've decided I want more pups."

He was left speechless at that announcement, and was very happy he was known to be taciturn. He finally decided to go with his first thought. "That concerns me how?"

Leiko's smile got bigger. "You took in a little human girl. I found one I want, and you're going to help me claim her."

_Fuujin's bag!_ "Mother, you wondered if I was going to _eat_ her."

"So I give up the occasional treat." She shrugged, completely unconcerned. "It's not like they taste all that good anyways. And those little bones get stuck between the fangs-"

"Rin was an orphan, and unwanted. She chose to stay with me. Does this girl know you've got your eye on keeping her?" _Why did I have to have such strange parents?_

She canted her head to the side and pouted a little. "No, but she and her slayer friend are at my shiro for tonight. I promised your half-brother I'd return her tomorrow."

Sesshoumaru nearly swallowed his tongue. "You want _that_ disrespectful woman?"

"Pup, my son; she's too young to be considered disrespectful, since she obviously knows little of adult manners. She's five years from adulthood, twice that from marrying age. She's also comes from a well-off family and is quite sheltered, making _your_ girl-child her mental elder."

"Mother," he struggled to refrain from pinching his nose to help the raging headache that had started. "She is still human, and will die-"

"That's another reason why your Rin is older... Kagome-chan is from a god-blessed line of shrinekeepers. She told me herself that her grandfather is the head priest of their shrine, and he's twice the age most humans die at. She also has another family member who has passed her century mark."

Spotting the distressed line between his eyes, Leiko reached over and ran a hand through his mokomoko. With an internal chuckle, she deliberately misstated his distress. "You didn't know she was a pup when you tried to melt her, and you did save her from that nasty poisoner. She's a sweet child, she'll forgive you."

"But Honored Mother, she has a family-"

"Sesshoumaru-chan! You know you've wanted a little sister forever... I know your main issue with Inuyasha isn't that he's hanyou."

He picked up the warning in her voice and panicked a little. _She wouldn't!_

"It's the unforgivable fact he's a boy."

_She did!_

"I told your father how much you wanted a little sister to spoil, but he wouldn't buy the gender spell. Said he was too busy to be having more pups. Then he was 'oops, how did that happen?' when Izayoi-hime turned up pregnant. Touga-sama always did let his libido get him into the worst situations... his mother even told me about the time she found him peeking in the concubine's bath house with his hakama-"

"Mother! I will help you contact the girl's parents, though perhaps you should tell her what you are thinking about doing first." Sesshoumaru's ears burned, as well as his stomach. _Like anyone wants to hear of his father's sexual exploits! My mother isn't a youkai, she's an akuma... that hellhound that took Rin was probably kin..._

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I adore Sessmom and her lackadaisical way of causing her son problems. It's probably just revenge for the trouble he caused growing up.

This is a scene from a KISS story... I had this fantastic plot that had Leiko adopting Kagome, and Sesshoumaru actually in charge of her. He paid off her school to doctor her grades and got her into Ouran and had Yuuko from xxxHoLic teaching her magic when she accidentally ran into a character from Legal Drug who introduced her to the main characters from Her Majesty's Dog... it just kept getting bigger and bigger until the story collapsed under the weight of the plot. So my advice to beginning writers? Keep it simple! Or you'll be laughing at your own idiocy years later.


	3. What An Inuyoukai Wants, But Can't Have

This is for more mature readers. Nothing truly raunchy, but some nudity and sexual thoughts. Nothing that an older teen hasn't dealt with, in my experience.

* * *

The Secrets of Inuyoukai

~oOo~

What An Inuyoukai Wants... But Can't Have

* * *

The moonlight rippled over the surface of the river, showing the rocks up only as dark shadows touched with the glow of silver. The hunter paid no attention to the beauty before him, focusing only on the scent he had followed. It was dissipating now, swept away by the waters and the cooling of the body. Keen eyes went to work looking for any incongruities, separating out what naturally belonged in order to find his prey.

There. Caught in the rocks a little over midway through was a bit of cloth and the water undulated strangely. Swiftly he leapt to the cluster of rocks and plunged his hand into the water. Hair teasingly tangled in his fingers as he searched for a hold on the body. He finally snagged the remains of an obi and cleared the rest of the river in a final jump.

Knowing the hazards of remaining in the open, Sesshoumaru wasted no time checking the woman he held. Hefting her over his shoulder to free up his arm, he started looking for a defensible position with shelter from the air. He didn't need Naraku's saimyousho reporting this back to their master. He found a copse of trees and dumped the body across his legs, lip curling at his own actions. _Damnable woman._ Ignoring the press of full breasts against his groin he rapidly struck several times halfway down her back, using his leg as a bar to shove the water out of her lungs and stomach.

Satisfied he had cleared out as much as possible, he extended his senses to check for any other serious injuries. What damage he could sense she would be able to heal once she revived. Good. He wouldn't have to do any more for her. His hand rested on her back, feeling the crumpled, ridged skin beneath his palm. It was the only thing marring the creamy expanse. _That and the foul edge to her scent,_ he thought, reminding himself of her origins... her owner.

Sesshoumaru's fingers traced over the scarring, controlling the urge to burn away all evidence that she belonged to another, and leave his own mark and scent behind. The insignia of the spider was as offensive to his eyes as Naraku's stench was to his nose.

The woman lying across his lap suddenly quickened- breath and warmth returning to her suddenly. She tensed at the brush of claws against her back before reason provided the fact that while the legs beneath her were definitely adult and male, the hakama were white. Naraku disdained white other than the baboon pelts he was so fond of.

That she was at least partially naked with her torso draped across Sesshoumaru's lap was the final conclusion her not quite fully functioning brain drew. She could count blades of grass if she was of a mind to, or she speak up and find out just how she wound up in this position. While laying here sounded the most pleasurable, there was an acrid burning scent in the air that probably did not bode well for her body's welfare. Kagura placed a very high value on herself, so she wrapped the wind around herself and was across the clearing in a heartbeat. _If I had a heartbeat, that is..._

She looked across the way at the faintly smiling inuyoukai. She couldn't quite repress a shudder at the glowing green of his dokkasou, giving him a splendid view of her tightened nipples before she crossed her arms and looked pointedly away from him. Faint hissing sounds came from the ground as the acid burned its way through layers of dead foliage. The stench filled the clearing with a throat-searing bitter tang.

"That's all it would take, foolish woman, to put you out of your misery and gain you that freedom from Naraku you so desire."

"What sort of fool do you think I am, Sesshoumaru? I wish for freedom, not death!"

"Yet you are powerless to claim either."

Her garnet eyes narrowed. "I offered you shards of the Shikon Jewel to help me defeat him and you told me to use them myself. The bastard holds my heart! Any sign of rebellion or deceit and he will kill me like he's killed off my siblings." The wind witch's face turned cynical. "It's not like he creates any of us out of what he considers strong or useful pieces, just what is expedient to drop as he reforms himself."

Sesshoumaru's attention was grabbed by the last part. "Reforms himself?"

_Something he doesn't know? Did Inuyasha not tell him?_ Kagura re-evaluated the worth of her information. "Sesshoumaru, free me from Naraku. I will give you everything I know about him, just promise to free me."

His eyes went flat and she knew that last outburst had cost her. She took a deep breath. "I do not have the power to kill Naraku, Sesshoumaru. Even if I had shards of the jewel I still would not have what it takes to kill him and I do not have much time left before he tires of me. Already he is suspicious and leaves me to fend for myself after his twisted plots."

"That is why I had to fish you out of the river yet again?"

"Your brother caught me off guard with that new attack of his."

"Yet you are alive."

"Alive? You had me in your lap. Surely you noticed the absence of a heartbeat." _I don't dare ask why I was there, though. His face is like a mask again. If only he would help me!_ "Naraku holds my heart. All it would take is one moment for him to destroy it… and with it me. I am no fool, Sesshoumaru. I want the freedom of the wind, not the freedom of death.

"Naraku throws off bits of his humanity along with each of us he creates. Each time he chooses a powerless night, each bunshin he throws off, every chance he gets he throws off more of Onigumo, whom he hates. Sister Kanna was an experiment and thus has little emotion. With me he threw off impetuosity, Brother Goshinki bottomless hunger, Juromaru the mindless urge to fight and Kageromaru was a collection of base emotions. He has even cast off his human heart, leaving it in the babe Mouyomarou protects."

"Are you sure his heart is with Mouyomarou?" Sesshoumaru kept a steady gaze on her as the beginnings of a strategy began to come together.

"Hakudoshi says it's so, though he's not the most trustworthy of informants. I don't know how long he'll wait before resorbing that heart again... something about it is vital for Naraku to reach his strongest self." She paused, then finished telling him all the information. "He recently went back to Hakureizan... I don't know why, though."

Sesshoumaru looked lost in thought and Kagura wished that she had more covering. The chill air pulled the river mist into the trees and left her skin prickling with the cold. Her hair flowed down her body and gave some protection, but it was still wet in places. If only I could shake it out! But that would mean turning her back on Sesshoumaru. Not a chance. Informant or not he'll still kill me, the bastard. Her pebbled nipples pressed into her arm and she fought to control a shiver. I'll not give him the pleasure of mocking me.

Unbeknownst to her, the stoic demon had noticed her troubles minutes before. He concealed the smile in his eyes as she shivered discreetly as possible. He really couldn't decide what would be more entertaining… tormenting her in these little ways or seeing the expression on her face if he were to take her up against a tree until she smelled of nothing but him and sex.

A vision of those full breasts rose in his memory and he shuttered his eyes. _I should just kill her. She is a weakness..._ A drop of poison slid along the sides of his nail and dripped from the tip of a wicked point onto his hakama. The silk stood up to the onslaught as the poison caused the air to shimmer as it quickly evaporated. All his options seemed to be enticing.

Kagura drew herself up and dropped her arms. They were just breasts and it wasn't like that irritating _dog _was paying her any attention anyway. There was a storm coming. She could hear the whisper of it in the sighing of the wind, the call of turbulent gusts in her very bones. The air currents wisped up her arms and caressed her body, a thermal lending her its heat. She heard music that seeming only called to her; all others deaf to its siren call. It was the singing, sighing slither of the high aether currents calling her, beckoning her to ride the wind. She listened to it long enough to gain heart and reached for the feather in her hair.

Sesshoumaru had watched the change in her, his nose picking up the scent of the wind changing its pathways to warm and protect the woman. The skin on her torso and those full breasts smoothed, losing the chilled prickles and bluish tinge. Her areola reddened to a shade much darker than her eyes and browner, becoming a color he would almost compare to dried blood if it hadn't been so vibrantly alive. Stirrings within his hakama had his most sensitive anatomy brushing against the cool silk, sending a _frisson_ of sensation through his loins. Uneasily he contemplated the fact that lust was one of the emotions he had yet to chain to his will, until the movement of her arm grabbed his attention. Before she could use the feather she had plucked from her hair, he rose and lashed his whip in front of her.

"I did not say you could leave. I have more questions."

Her ruby lips curved upwards slightly as she covered her start. "Unfortunately, Sesshoumaru, you don't always get what you want." Her eyes flashed. "I did offer that right to you, but you declined," she ended the statement with a teasing lilt. "Time's up and I have to go before Naraku's spies find me here. I'm sure an important youkai such as yourself has much more to do than wait around for a thank you. Goodbye, Sesshoumaru."

She left him in a swirl of wind and he watched narrow-eyed until she was out of sight. _Damnable woman._ He turned and disappeared into the trees. _Jaken better not be asleep. Then again, it would be a good excuse to stone him._ He ignored the little addition in the back of his mind, _as long as Rin is safe_.

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This was my first attempt at something more erotic, in 2006 or 2007, way back before Kagura died and Sesshoumaru regained his arm. I wasn't at ease posting it back then, but I think I've cleaned it up enough it doesn't look like a fourteen year old's version of eroticism. There was a notation this was for Quirkyslayer... so Paynesgrey, this one's a very belated whatever it was for you!


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